How to Go to Dinner at Olive Garden on Colonial Drive
Location and Parking The Olive Garden on Colonial Drive (or State-Road 50) is in close proximity to Pollo Tropical and across the road from Taco Bell. It is on the right side as you are turning from Alafaya Road. Once you have turned into the parking lot, there is parking in front of the restaurant, behind and on the left side as well. The first few spaces directly in front of the restaurant are reserved for rapid pick-up and cannot be parked in unless you ordered ahead and simply waiting to receive your food. The easiest location to park in is behind the restaurant where there are, most of the time, many spaces available. Restaurant Details Now you can enter in the front door that is directly facing Colonial Drive. There will be a hostess stand once you enter and you can tell the hostess how many people you have in your party. He/she will respond with how long of a wait it will be for a table or will take you directly to a table to sit at. There are a few options for where you can sit: the bar, high top tables near the bar, low tables in the dining area and booths in the dining area. You can request where you would like to sit if you aren't comfortable with the table the hostess originally seats you at. The dining area is almost in a zig-zag shape with alcoves on the left and right side of the restaurant. If you wish to have a booth, the booths will be located inside either alcove and also directly on the other side of the wall from the respective alcoves. Ordering from the Menu Once you've been seated, your waiter/waitress will approach you and present you with an official menu, drink list and menu advertising deals. The waiter/waitress may ask as well if you would like a wine sample, depending on your age. Once your server has presented you with the materials to order from, you can ask them if you have any questions about how the menu works and deals that are offered. You server will most likely then ask what you would like to drink with your meal and you can choose to order water for no charge, a soft drink or any of the other options listed on the menu such as their flavored teas for an extra charge. The drinks do, however, come with never-ending refills so you will only pay one charge for all of the drinks you order. Next, you will need to order your entree. A popular meal option is the never-ending soup, salad and breadsticks deal. This deal includes never-ending soup of your choice and either breadsticks or salad with endless refills as well. There are, of course, other options on the menu such as classic types of pasta like fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti marinara and even meals featuring shrimp and chicken. Once you have decided what you would like to order, you can let your waiter/waitress know. After ordering, you can patiently await for your meal to arrive. In order to ease the hunger, your server will bring you breadsticks as an appetizer, along with soup of your choosing. Dinner Once your food arrives, feel free to eat it as you please. Your server may ask if you would like parmesan cheese or any toppings to go with your meal. If you're interested in toppings, now is the time to let the server know. The best part has arrived: time to eat! There will be two forks that you can use and they are both the same size, so either one can be used for your main entree. You will also have a knife and spoon if you prefer using a spoon instead of a fork. Dessert After you've finished eating your dinner, your server will ask if you have room for dessert. If you are too full, you can take it to go or you can refuse to buy dessert. If you haven't eaten all of your meal, you can also request a box for your left-overs. You are also able to have your drink to-go and if you want extra soup or breadsticks for later on, your server can package all of these up for you to take with you. Paying for Your Meal After you have all of your food packaged up, you can either ask your waiter/waitress for the check or you can use the electronic kiosk available at your table to pay with a credit card. If you want to use cash or would rather speak to your server about your check, you can receive a physical copy. If you choose the physical copy, you will receive a receipt and check to sign and to leave a tip. If you want to pay electronically, you can use the kiosk and it will give you directions on paying and tipping as well as provide an option to print out a receipt. Once you have paid and leaved a tip, you are free to go. You can exit the same way you entered and walk to your car.